Evolution, transition, transformation, modification or variation of services. So many terms that reflect the change management process. Regardless of the semantics, this process is ubiquitous in the Service Management practice and fits within the frameworks valued by the ITSM industry. In response to business needs constantly changing, it deserves to be standardized and optimized to minimize the risk or the process rework.
Objective vs Risk
The objectives related to the process of change management are clear :
- saving changes
- assessing changes
- authorization changes
- their ranking (in order of priority)
- planning changes
- test changes
- implementation changes
- documentation of these changes
- and finally, an update of this documentation
These objectives also imply the consideration of organizational needs concerning these changes:
- the many changing needs of the business units to maximize the value of services and improve operational performance
- the inevitable need for alignment between IT services and the business world
However, we must consider another important aspect of change management, which is an essential factor in the process's success: the risk. The objective is to minimize it in the operational transition of services. These risks are closely linked to the number of incidents in a business context. Here are a few:
- Delays in project delivery
- Urgency and amount of changes to be applied
- Lean proportion of successful changes
- Unexpected service interruptions
- No change authorization
The importance of a sound methodology
An appropriate methodology is required to achieve the objectives and limit the risks mentioned above. This method ensures the registration of all changes affecting the configuration items (CI) and active services within the configuration management system (CMS). Process standardization is critical to any organization at different levels. It is highly recommended that the definition of the change management process, process validation, management priorities, and impact analysis be centralized in a folder accessible to change managers.
This access enables managers to edit or upgrade various processes. A workflow should ideally be made available to facilitate the automated modification of change items, thereby enabling greater internal efficiency. A business-oriented customized methodology will allow you to anticipate future problems and will act on feedback through a comprehensive change process audit. It will benefit your organization more by aligning to the ITIL® framework and customizing this approach based on identified business needs.
The benefits
Well-managed change management brings several benefits. As noted previously, an appropriate change management process enables greater internal efficiency, a reduction of associated risks, and better alignment with business unit requirements.
Other operational benefits are worth noting:
- Reducing the time of implantation
- Decrease interruptions
- Compliance, control, traceability, and development of current processes
- Automating changes
- Increase in the degree of user satisfaction
So, there you have it! Change management might sound like a dry topic, but as you’ve discovered, it’s the secret sauce that keeps the gears of progress turning smoothly. Now, if this whirlwind tour of change management has left you eager to dive into the nitty-gritty details or simply curious about how these strategies can change your organization, why not chat with our change management maestro? With a knack for making the complex simple and an uncanny ability to turn challenges into stepping stones, our service professionals are ready to guide you through the labyrinth of change with a dash of wit and expertise. Book a session today, and let's make change the best decision you’ve ever made.
